Student Manual

Central Yupik

A Course in Spoken Eskimo

Edward A. Tennant
and
Robert J. Rebert

This book was prepared for the Southwest Region School District in Dillingham, Alaska, and the Lower Kuskokwim School District in Bethel, Alaska, by Educational Research Associates, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1977.

Copyright © 1977 by the Southwest Region and Lower Kuskokwim School Districts

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by my means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Southwest Region or Lower Kuskokwim School Districts.

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 77-86345

FIRST EDITION 1977

Course Design by Edward A. Tennant and Robert J. Rebert
Yupik Texts by Irene Reed and the Eskimo Language Workshop
Yupik Review by Sophie Shield
Children's Methods by James A. MacDiarmid
Adult Methods by Robert J. Rebert
Art Work and Layout by Jennifer and Mary Abbott

Acknowledgement

This book would not be a reality were it not for the interest, dedication, and coordination of the following educators in Alaska: Richard Dine, Assistant Superintendent, SRSD; Patricia Horter, Special Programs Director, LKSD; Joanne Nelson, Bilingual Education Coordinator, SRSD; and Robert Snider, Assistant Special Programs Director, LKSD.

EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
P.O. Box 14896
Albuquerque, N.M. 87111


Foreword

We are particularly delighted that after much hard work on the part of many people we now have a Yupik language course available for use in our schools.
Over the years the use of language in many of the villages has shifted from Yupik to English. In these villages it is often only the parents or grandparents who still understand and speak Yupik. The children continue to live in the heart of Yupik culture and often hear the language spoken around them, but many of them no longer speak the language themselves.
In recent years there has been a resurgence of pride among communities throughout the country who have their roots in a culture and language other than English. It is only in the past few years that so many people have become aware that each culture has something unique to offer to the American way of life. It is the language which transmits and, to a great extent, even shapes a culture. Once a language is gone, most of the culture passes with it.
For this reason parents are now keenly aware of the value of maintaining their own language and culture so that it may be passed on to their children and their children's children. It is parents who have provided the impetus and support which makes a language course such as this possible.
For our part, we have invested a great deal of time and money to develop the original course, to have it taught for the first time in numerous villages in both the Bethel and Dillingham areas, to carefully examine the results of the first year of field-testing, and then, finally, to commit ourselves to the production of a revised language course which would be a source of pride to parents, teachers, and students alike.
Of course, having a good language course and well-trained teachers are not enough to guarantee that students will learn Yupik well from this book. We know that students must be interested in the valuable skills they can keep for a lifetime by learning Yupik. It is for this reason that this book gives two introductory chapters about the Yupik language and about leaming a language. We hope that teachers will urge the students of Yupik to review these ideas as they proceed through the lessons.
All of us must recognize that no book or teacher ever really teaches someone to speak a language. The best this course and the teachers can do is show the way. The students will have to do the leaming. The measure of success of both the course and the teachers will depend on the enthusiasm students bring to this venture.

David Dickerson, Superintendent
SOUTHWEST REGION SCHOOL DISTRICT

B. A. Weinberg, Superintendent
LOWER KUSKOKWIM SCHOOL DISTRICT

Cost: $6.50

Information about the resource can be found at:

ANKN Clearinghouse P.O. Box 756730 Fairbanks, AK 99775-6730 Tel: (907) 474-5897 or email: ANKN Clearinghouse

Charles Kashatok Yup'ik Curriculum Specialist P.O.Box 305 Bethel, Alaska 99559 Tel: (907) 543-4853 or email: Charles_Kashatok@fc.lksd-do.org

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